In polarization imaging, circular and linear polarization are conventionally used for incident light detection. However, relying solely on these modes may lead to a loss of crucial polarization data. This study expands the incident polarization state from a single point on the Poincaré sphere to its entire surface, yielding the Global-Polarization Stokes Ellipsoids (GPSE). GPSE offers an intuitive representation of polarization response discrepancies. It reveals distinct characteristics when birefringence and scattering effects act independently and analyzes their coupled effects in concurrent operation. In systems with both birefringence and scattering, GPSE parameters provide a robust characterization of anisotropy, overcoming issues for linear phase retardation, like phase wrapping and helicity flip associated with circular polarization. This approach provides a novel perspective and methodology for polarization imaging and information extraction.
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